Grab



March 23 1926.

W. G. WEHR GHAB Filed Sept. 18, 1925 2 Sheets-Sheet l l?? we?, H7071 March 23 1926.

W. G. WEHR GRAB Filed Sept 18 1925 Patented Mar. 223, 1926.

' UNITED STATE WILLILAM G. WEI-IR, OF EAST CLEVELAND, 011110, ASSIGNGR TO THE CLEVELAND CRANE l entre maar Erice.

a ENGINEERING COMPANY, or WioELirrE, eine, A. coaronarion or onio.

GRAB.

lApplicationiled September 1S, 1925. Serial No. 57,976.

To ZZZ 'whom if; may concern.'

Be it known that L lliini'iiiiir G. liliana, a citizen of the United States, residing at East Cleveland, in the county of Cuyahoga and State of Ohio, have invented a certain new and useful Improvement in Grabs, of which the following isa full, clear, and ex* act description.

This inventioiii'elates to grabs and more particularly to a grab designed for engaging and lifting rectangular bodies such as bales, boxes or piles of sheet metal, the device hercin shown having been designed particularly for handling piles of tin plate.

One of the principal objects of the pres-- ent invention is to provide a grab which is readily adjustable for engagement with square or rectangular bodies of different shapes and sizes. The further object of the invention is to provide a grab in which the load engaging members move by gravity to load engaging position so that it is'held in tight engagement with the load byV the weight of the load, and further, to provide the grab with'ineans for supporting the saine upon the body to be lifted in such manner that it can be adjusted to a position such that it will properly engage the body to be Y lifted and may then be released so that it will move by gravity into gripping engagcment therewith. j

The following description and accompanying drawings set forth in detail ccrtain -means embodying the invention9 the dis closed means, however, constitutingbut one of the various mechanical forms in which the principle of the invention maybe einployed. l f j Reference should be had to the accompanying drawings forming a part of this specification inwhich Fig. 1 is a side elevation of the grab in load engaging position: Fig. 2 is a side elevation of the grab viewed in a direction at right angles 'to the direction Y in which the grabis viewed in Fig. V1; Fig.

3 is a top plan View of the grab; Fig. 4 is a vertical section on an enlarged scale through the central supporting member ofthe gaal Referring to the accompanying drawings, the grab is providedwith a centrally dis-- posed load supporting member 1 from which the load `gripping members are suspended and to which the hoist cable is attached. lnterinediate the Vends thereof the supporting member 1 has formed therein a sheave case 2 in which is mounted a sheave 3 `which receives .the loop of a hoist cable 4, the

sheave case 2 being provided with open-v ings 5 at the top thereof for the passage of the cable 4. The supporting member 1 is provided with a cylindrical bearingpor-l .tion'G which projects upwardly from the `8 and 9 are rotatably mounted upon the projection 6 and two similar collars 11 and 12 are rotatably mounted uponl the projection .7 immediately beneath the slieave case 2. The collars 8 and 9 are retained against the top ofslieave case 2 by vmeans of a nut 13 upon the upper end 'of the projection 6 and the collarslland 12 are retained against the under side ofthe sheave case V2 by means ofa collar 14 fined to the projection 7 below the lowermost collar 12. The collar 8 is pioi. Y

vided with outwardlyprojectingears 15 at diametrically opposite points thereon, and `the collar 9 is provided with similar outwardly projecting ears 16. The collars 11 and 12 are also provided with outwardly projecting ears 15 and `16 whichare positioned directly beneath the corresponding ears on the collars 8 and 9; Upper and' lower radially disposed links 17 and 18 are pivoted at their inner ends to the outwardly f projecting ears 15 and 16 of the collars 8, 9, 11 and 12. The superposed pairs of links 17 and 18 are parallel and are pivotally connected at their outer ends to vertically disposed load engaging bars 19. The ears 15 'on the collars 8 and 11 areiin vertical align mentand each of the two pairs of links counected to the ears 15 are connected to one of the vertical-load engaging bars 19. The

ears 16 on the collarsl 9 and 12 are also in 1 vertical `alignment and the twopairs of links connected to the ears 16` are connectedto the other two loadengaging bai-s 19. Each pair of diagonally opposite load engaging bars are thus connected through their su porting linlrs'with the saine rotatable colare inthe form of inwardly facing angle.

bars and the links 17 and 1S are connected thereto by horizontal pivot pins 2O which connect the ends of the links 19 to brackets 21 secured between the flanges of the angle bars 19. The bars 19 engage with the corners of the rectangular pile` or other recranf gular body to be lifted, and are provided at their lower ends with inwardly extending foot portions or ledges 22 upon which the load rests while being lifted. The projection 7 extends downwardly below the retaining collar 11 and is provided with an enlarged foot portion 23 which may be provided with a rubber pad 24 on the under side Vthereof for engagement with the top of the pile of sheetmetal or with the top of any rectangular object to be lifted. rIhe lower lportion of the projection 7 carries two colnnected with the latch pin 31 forreleasing the same from the projection 7. The links 17 and 18 are inclined downwardly as shown in Figs. 1 and 2 when the bars 19 are in load engaging position, and it willV be obvious that the weight of the bars 19 and theV counecting` links will tend to move the bars to load engaging position.` If thel bars 19 be pulled outward or be l,lifted with respect to the load supporting member 1, thel links and 1S will be swung upwardly toward horizontal position moving the bars 19 outwardly from the central supporting meniber. Thelupward movement of the lower links 18 will cause the collars 25 and 2G to slide upward on Vthe project-ion 7 and when the latchv pin 31 registers with the groove 712 in the projection 7 it will snap into engagement with the groove and lock the load engaging members in extended positions.

In the operation of the device the load engaging bars, preparatory to picking up a load, are shifted to extended positions and are held extended by the latch 31. The grab is then moved to position over the pile or object to be lifted, and is lowered unt-il the foot 23 of the central supporting memoer rests upon the pile adjacent the! center thereof. The diagonally disposed pairs of load engaging bars are then adjusted byV turning the same with their supporting linke about the axis of the central supporting member until they are positioned in line with the diagonally opposite corners of the pile. The supporting links are then released by releasing the latch pin 3l whereupon the load engaging bars will drop by gravity and in their downward movement will be swung inwardly into engagement with the Corners of the pile by their connecting links 17 and 18. The hoisting cable 4 is then wound up and the grab will be lifted bodily until the supporting ledges 22 at the lower ends of the bars 19 engage with the bottom of the pile. By reason of the parallel arrangement of the load gripping bars 19 the gripping of a pile of sheets by the bars will tend to force the edges of the sheets into alignment' and straighten the pile. After the supporting' ledges 22 come into engagement with the bottom of the pile, further upward movement of the grab will cause the pile to be lifted off its support. After the load has been conveyed to the desired point, the grab is lowered until the weight of the load is transferred to the ground or to the pile on which the load is deposited; whereupon further downward movement of the central supporting member 1 will cause the inner ends of the links 17 and18 to be swung downwardly toward horizontal position forcing the bars 19 outwardly out of engagement with the load. At the same time the latch 31 snaps into engagement with the groove 32 on the supporting member locking the grab in extended position so that it may be lifted clear of the released load and is held in proper position to be lowered over another load.

Having described my invention, what l claim is:

1. A grab comprising a central supporting head, a plurality of load gripping jdevices carried by the head, a pair of superposed links connecting each gripping device to the head, the links of each pair being cor.- ne-cted to the head for movement about horizontal axes and about the vertical axis of the head.r

2. i grab comprising a central support-` cally movable collars, and releasable meansY for holding said last mentioned collars against vertical movement to retain the gripping devices in a given position.

Ll. A gra-b comprising a central. supporting member, a plurality of gripping inembers, a pair of'links connecting each gripping member to the supporting member, and means connecting the .links to the supporting member to permit movement'about horizonlOO Larra-ees ital ares :to open -aiidclose the `gripping inembers fand independent movements thereof about a vertical axisto permit relative adjustment oit the gripping members.

' 5. A grab comprising a central support ing member, and two load .gripiiiing'devices carried thereby, each gripping device coinpiisifiig 'a pair of diaiiietiically `opposed gripping members and means connecting the same to the supporting member tor morc- `nient toward and from each other, said `gri pping devices being positioned iii planes which intersect axially oit the siipiiortiiig member and being adjustable angularly vone with respect to the Iother.

6. A grab comprising alceiitral. supporting member. two pairs ot .gripping menibers carried by said supporting member, the gripping members of each pair being on opposite sides ot' the supporting member, and means connecting each pair of gripping members to the supporting member for simultaneous movement toward and from the supporting member, said connecting means permitting angular adyus'tinent oi' one pair ot' gripping members with respect to the other.

7. A gra-b comprising a central supporting member, two pairs of gripping inembeers carried by said supporting member, trie gripping members of each pair being on opposite sides of the supporting member, and links connected by horizontal pivots to said supporting and gripping members, the links connecting the gripping members ot one pair to the supporting member, being angulariy adjustable about a vertical axis. u

8. A grab comprising a central supporting member, two pairs of gripping members carried by said supportingmember, the gripping members ot each pair being on opposite sides of the supporting member, and vertically swinging links connecting gripping members to the supporting .membeig the gripping members and connecting links of oiie pair being adiustable angularly about the supporting member.

9. A grab comprising a central supporting member, a plurality ofcollars mounted :toi independent turning movement on the supporting member, links pivoted at their innerv ends to said collars, and gripping members carried by the said links at their outer ends.

10. A grab comprising a central `supporting member, a plurality ol' collars mounted ttor independent turning movementV on the supporting members, a pair of ,links connected to each collar at diainetrically opposite points, and gripping members carried by the said lin is at their outerends.

1l. A grab coii'iprising a central supporting member, 'four pairs of superposed parallel links pivoted at their inner ends to said supporting member said pairs of links being aiigularly disposed with respect to each other, anda vertical load engaging iiieiiiber pivotally connected to the outer ends of the lfiwnks of leach pair.

1&2. A grab-comprising a central 'supporting member, four pairs of superposed parallel links pivoted at their .inner ends to said supporting member., a vertical `load engaging member pivotally connected to the outer ends of the links oft each pair, and means interiiieiiiber for refleasably securing the load enn'iembers in extended positions. 13. A grab comprising .a central supportieng member, four pairs oi superposedparalposed betweenjthe links and supportingy of said pairs of links with their load engag- Y ing` members being angularly adjustable toward and from other of said load engaging members.

14. A grab comprising a central supporting member having vertically disposed cylindrical bearing portions, collars rotatably mounted on said bearing portions, radially disposed vertically swinging linksI pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collars, said links being arranged in four pairs, each pair being superposed and parallel, each pair o't links being diametrically opposite another pair and connected to the same collars as the links directly opposite thereto, fourvertical inwardly facing angle bars, each having an inwardly projecting supporting portion at its lower end, and each connected toa pair of superposed parallel links. i.

15.,A grab comprising a central supporting member having vertically disposed cylindrical bearing portions, collars rotatably mounted on said bearing portions, radially disposed vertically swinging links pivotally connected at their inner ends to said collars said links being arranged in four pairs, each pair being superposed and parallel, each pair of links being diametrically opposite another pair and connected to the same collars as the links directly opposite thereto, and means for rel'easably securing the links in positions iii which the load engaging members are spread apart.

.16.V A grab comprising a sulziportiiig inember having a sheave case intermediate the the ends thereof and cylindrical portions projecting upwardly and' downwardly :trom

llO

the sheave case, a pair of collars rotatably v mounted on each cylindrical portion, radially extending vertically swinging links connected at `diametrically opposite-points t0 each collar, four load engaging members each connected to a link extending from a collar of the upper pair and to a link extending from a collar of the lower pair, collars rotatable and slidable upon the lower cyliiid rical portion of the supporting member,

eaeli of said last mentioned Collars being connected to one of said links, and a latch carried by the lowermost of said collars and engageable with tbe supporting member to releasebly liold the said collars in their uppermost positions.

17. ik grab comprising` a supporting meniber having a sbezwe ease intermediate the ends thereof and cylindricalportions proieetnjg upwardly and downwardly from the shezwe ense, a pair ot' collars rotatably mounted on eaeli cylindrical portion, radially extendingT vertieiill)7 swinginglinks connected at dimnetrienlly opposite points to each collar, four load engaging members eaeli connected to a link extending from ,a collar of tlie uper pair and to a link extending from a eollzu of the lower pair, collars rotatable and slidable upon the lower cylindrical portion of the supportingmember, eaeli of said last mentioned collars being;

.Connected to diametrioally opposed links,

and means for limiting' tlievertieal movements of said last mentioned collars, said supporting' member lizufinp; a foot portion at its lower end adapted to rest upon a load to be lifted. Y

In testimony whereof, I hereunto a'iix my signature.

NILLAM G. VEHB. 

